


On a Bright Cloud of Music

by Amedia



Category: The Wizard of Oz & Related Fandoms, Tin Man (2007)
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Cliche, Crack, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 14:05:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amedia/pseuds/Amedia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>DG arranges for Cain to escort Ambrose to a formal ball.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On a Bright Cloud of Music

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure crackfic inspired by the cliché discussion on the [glitch-wyatt livejournal community](http://glitch-wyatt.livejournal.com/345919.html). The cliché I chose: the formal dance! Plus a little bit of Cain wrestling with his feelings. It also partially incorporates candacestls's request at the heartnbrain_req lj community for "How about Cain and Glitch trapped in a cave-in/house collapse/whatever can keep them together, preferably, a little banged up. Can be hurt/comfort, would be awesome if it was a first time story (my personal fav). " It also incorporates my own head!canon that Ambrose is the Queen's brother.
> 
> The title is taken from the song "Shall we Dance?" in The King and I.
> 
> Originally posted on LiveJournal, November 25, 2008.

**Prologue**

DG didn't want to admit it, but going over the details for her and Azkadellia's coming-out ball was actually enjoyable. She had to admit that her mother's idea of taking people's minds off the recent troubles sounded fun. Besides, it was interesting to learn about the differences between formal dances in the O.Z. and at Sunflower Regional High School. For one thing, the food and the music were going to be a whole lot better. Another one of the differences was a bigger surprise.

"Now," said the Queen (DG still had trouble thinking of her as Mom), "The royal family will start off the dancing, as is traditional. Ahamo and I will dance together, of course, and so will you and Azkadellia. And then, remember, the two of you will have to take turns dancing with all the ambassadors before you dance with anyone else. It's a sign of respect and welcome."

DG thought for a moment. "Wait, aren't some of the ambassadors women?"

"So?" asked Azkadellia matter-of-factly.

DG looked from Az to her mother and back again. They both looked politely bemused. "You mean I don't have to just dance with guys?" asked DG.

"I thought you'd've figured that out since your first dance is with ME," said Az, laughing.

"I thought that was some kind of weird sister thing," DG answered. Az shook her head.

"My brother is going to need a partner for the first dance," the Queen said, frowning slightly in concentration. "DG, do you have any ideas?"

"It doesn't have to be a woman, does it?"

**Part One**

"You called for me, your Majesty?" Cain asked. He was still a bit nervous hobnobbing with royalty, but he was gradually becoming accustomed to running the security detail for the palace.

"I wanted to speak with you about the upcoming ball for the Princesses' debut," the Queen said.

Cain nodded, expecting her to ask about the security precautions he was recommending. Her next words took him completely by surprise.

"Mr. Cain, would you consider serving as escort to our dear Ambrose?"

One did not stare blankly at royalty, goggle-eyed, Cain sharply reminded himself. And really, whatever he might have thought, there was only one correct answer when the Queen asked a favor. "Of course, your Majesty."

She smiled. "I was hoping you would say that," she said. "I'm afraid you'll need to delegate more of the security work, but I can let you have some of my personal staff to help out." She produced a small blank white card out of nowhere and handed it to him. "Take that to the tailors who serve the palace and tell them you need a dress uniform. The bill will be taken care of."

Again, Cain was saved by the fact that there was only one correct answer. "Thank you, your Majesty," he said, and managed a gracious exit.

 

* * *

He had seen very little of Glitch since the eclipse a few months ago. There had been too much going on, and what little free time they had rarely coincided. They occasionally passed in the hallways, once or twice had exchanged a few words at some official meeting. Yet Glitch had been very much on his mind. When his mind was not otherwise occupied, images would flash before his eyes: a graceful deadly whirlwind taking out multiple Longcoats; a sacrifice as terrible as his own, faced with clear-eyed courage; and always, the memory of a hundred moments when a sudden smile had crinkled Glitch's eyes and warmed Cain's soul.

He had considered just going to the advisor's suite and asking Glitch to have lunch with him or offering some other innocuous invitation, but every time it occurred to him, he found excuses not to do it. Surely Glitch had more important people to meet with, more important things to do. Surely he wasn't on Glitch's mind the way that Glitch was on his.

There were times when he wished he could have spoken to Raw and gotten the Viewer's insights, but Raw had gone back to his homeland, to take Kalm back, and to bring messages to his people from the Queen. Cain didn't know when Raw would return, and was surprised by how much he missed him. They had all become close during their adventure.

Some closer than others.

And now this request ... did the Queen know something he didn't? Recalling the scene to his mind, he had to admit that she had had a near-perfect poker face, but now that he recollected, he thought that DG was hiding a smirk, and not very well. Cain squared his shoulders. _Well, at least I have an excuse to talk to Glitch now_ , he thought, and headed for Glitch's office suite. To his disappointment, however, he learned that the Royal Advisor had been called out of town and would not return until the dance.

 

* * *

Cain's uniform was delivered by the tailor shop a few days before the event, so that he would have time to try it on and have any necessary adjustments made. None were necessary. He stared at the mirror of his room in the palace, hardly believing that he was looking at himself. All in shades of white and silver, the uniform had a sleek spartan elegance that made him look, well, almost handsome, and certainly dignified. The medals he had received for the role he played in saving the O.Z. from the Witch flashed brightly against the subtle material. The Queen would have no reason to be ashamed of inviting him to escort her brother.

**Part Two**

Cain attended a rehearsal of the opening ceremony the evening before the ball; one of the young scientists who worked in the palace laboratories stood in, rather nervously, for Glitch. He was glad to see DG and Azkadellia both in a festive mood, and even Ahamo and the Queen seemed more relaxed than he had seen them since the eclipse.

He was kept busy the next day with a hundred security details, almost up until the moment when he had to change and go to the antechamber where VIP guests were invited to wait. He did not recognize a soul among them; these were the nobility, the ambassadors, the officials great and minor. The men were in dress suits of every shade, the women in glittering gowns. All nodded to him with exquisite courtesy, but no one attempted to engage him in conversation.

At last he heard the opening trumpets announcing the beginning of the festivities. Servants in formal uniforms came, opening the double doors that led from the antechamber into the ballroom, and guided the guests to their places, Cain at the forefront.

The grand ballroom was merely the largest in a series of connected chambers that wound through this part of the palace. He had seen the beginnings of the preparations the night before and even during part of the day, but the final transformation still took him by surprise. The rooms were hung with swags of brilliantly colored fabric and sprays of flowers, with a different color predominating in each. The grand ballroom was in emerald green with gold highlights. Green and gold globes, each about the size of an apple, bobbed magically in the air throughout the room, emitting a brilliant glow. A gleaming dais stood at the far end of the room, while the orchestra was arranged along one side.

The fanfare ended; there was a brief silence as the conductor re-arranged the music on his stand and then tapped with his baton. He raised it, brought it down again, and the achingly familiar strains of the royal anthem, so long silenced by the Sorceress, burst forth in joyful concord. Looking around at the guests, Cain saw broad smiles on many faces, and not a few unashamed tears.

As the orchestra moved from the opening stanza into the chorus of the song, the royal family appeared from behind the dais and took their positions, led by the Queen and her consort. DG and Azkadellia followed, and finally Glitch brought up the rear.

Cain found himself staring. Later, when he saw photos and recording disks of the dance, he realized that the Queen and her consort were radiant and the Princesses, both stunning. But all he could see was Glitch. Gone was the shabby raiment that he had worn as a wandering zipperhead; gone, too, the newer but still untidy clothing he wore around the palace, with the sleeves rolled up, covered in ink blots and chalkdust. Glitch was dressed like a prince, in silk and velvet, and held himself with an unconscious grace and dignity that sat as naturally on him as the silver coronet that obscured his zipper.

After a moment, Cain suddenly realized that Glitch was staring at him as well. And blushing.

Ceremonial words were spoken, official proclamations were made; it was all a blur until the music began and Cain found himself in front of Glitch and asking for the honor of the first dance. Glitch took his arm and led him onto the floor, and they moved into the steps, into the music, in an effortless glide. It was a formal dance; physical contact - a hand each on shoulder and waist - was minimal. Yet each partner keenly felt the other's movement, skill, and rhythm.

"It's good to see you again," Glitch said after a moment.

Cain nodded. "I've, um, I've missed seeing you around," he said, letting Glitch whirl him gracefully out of the way of DG and Az. "I know we've both been busy."

"I'm glad you agreed to escort me," Glitch said with a quick, momentary smile. "I am honored."

Cain didn't know how to respond to that. " _You_ are honored? I'm the commoner who's been invited to dance with royalty," he said, tilting his head toward the Queen and Ahamo nearby, and then toward Glitch himself.

Glitch gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "You mean, you're the one who earned your position, while I'm the one who was born into it."

Cain shook his head. "You were born _for_ it, my friend," he said earnestly as they moved in stately steps that carried them around the room of green and gold. He managed to put into words what he'd felt when he first saw Glitch on the dais. "It's who you truly are."

This time the smile was slow, and it stayed, and it lit Glitch's whole face. Cain wanted the moment to last forever. It was then that the music ended.

As he had practiced, he released Glitch, who simultaneously let go of Cain; they each took a half-step back and bowed.

"Cain," Glitch said quickly, "I have duties now, people I have to meet, and, heaven help me, _remember_ , but please, will you meet me in the lavender room in exactly two hours? I would very much like to dance with you again."

"I'd like that," said Cain. "I'd like that very much."

 

* * *

The lavender room was decorated in shades of pale purple and silver, with lavender and silver globes emitting their magical light. The room was empty; most of the guests in were in the main ballroom. Cain realized, as he passed from the main area into this smaller room, that he was actually entering an older section of the palace, although the transition was well-disguised by the decorations. Cain looked around, somewhat troubled, and pulled out the small walkie-talkie that he used to communicate with his staff, who were stationed unobtrusively around the area.

"Kerrity," he asked quietly, "did you check out the subsidiary rooms for structural stability?"

"Of course, Chief," came the ready answer. Kerrity was stationed near the musicians; he could hear them tuning up in the background. "That portion of the palace dates from the protoarchaic period. They knew how to build to last back then. It's probably sturdier than the new section."

 _Good woman_ , thought Cain. Aloud, he said, "And you checked for signs of sabotage?"

"Yes," she said, calm and confident. "The area's clean."

"Thanks, Cam," he said, relieved. "Glad you're on top of things. Cain out."

He snapped off the walkie talkie and tucked it back into the inner breast pocket of his dress jacket, just as Glitch came in. He looked a bit tired and harried, but lit up when he saw that Cain was there, and made a beeline toward him.

"Ready for another dance, Cain?" he asked.

"Any time," Cain said, and bowed. As if on cue, the music started up again, and Glitch swept him into his arms. It was a faster dance than before, and a closer one; he found himself fitted snugly against Glitch, in constant contact. Glitch's body felt sinuous against his, moving with confident certainty and expertise. Cain knew this dance, knew that he was keeping up and moving in time, that they were well-matched.

Perhaps in more ways than one.

He turned his face slightly to bring his cheek against Glitch's; it felt right and natural, and it was less surprising than he might have thought to feel Glitch's hand move up from his shoulder to his neck, Glitch's index finger caressing the skin just under Cain's ear. He moved his own corresponding hand to the back of Glitch's neck, playing with the wayward tendrils that curled at the nape, and felt Glitch's smile against his cheek.

The music ended. They did not move apart. Cain wondered what would happen if he turned just a little more - would Glitch pull away, or would they kiss?

He never got the chance to find out. He heard the sound of a muffled explosion from beneath their feet, and looked around to see the walls trembling and the ceiling cracking. Moving faster than thought, he pulled Glitch off his feet, guided him to the floor, and threw himself over him just as the pillars supporting the roof cracked and gave way with a deafening roar.

**Part Three**

"Cain! Cain, are you all right?" The voice seemed to come from very far away, but it carried an urgency that Cain could not ignore. "Cain, talk to me, please. Wyatt!"

Cain opened his eyes and found Glitch kneeling beside him, his face just inches from his own. For a moment he wondered woozily whether they were going to kiss after all. Then he noticed that Glitch was disheveled, covered in marble dust, his coronet askew, his face streaked with blood. Cain put a hand up and touched Glitch's cheek.

"You're hurt," he said.

Glitch shook his head. It made Cain dizzy just to watch him. "This isn't my blood," he said. "It's yours." Cain moved the hand to his own forehead and encountered a sticky mess; pulling his fingers away, he saw them covered with red. He stared at them for a long moment, watching them move in and out of focus, and realizing gradually that his head ached very, very badly. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Glitch asked urgently.

Cain tried to focus on the rest of his body. "I think something fell on my leg," he finally said. He felt Glitch's hands gently moving down his body patting across his thigh toward his knee--and then a blaze of new pain. "Aaah!"

Glitch took his hand away. "It looks as if a chunk of the roof hit your leg and then rolled off." He looked around at the ruins of what had been a beautiful room. "How did we manage to fall in the least-damaged place?"

Cain chuckled. "I looked the room over before you came in. I've been doing it all evening. This was the structurally safest spot."

"But you didn't expect this to happen," Glitch said.

"Doesn't matter," Cain said. "Every room I go into, I look for the entrances, the exits, the weak points, the safe spots."

Glitch smiled. "I'm glad you do that. You saved my life, Tin Man." Cain reached out; Glitch took his hand and squeezed it.

Cain looked around the room, trying to move his throbbing head as little as possible. It was still lit, albeit dimly, by the lavender and silver magical globes. The exits were blocked by debris. He could hear a faint scratching sound from the direction of the main hall; presumably there were rescue efforts underway. There seemed to be plenty of air coming in from overhead, where the night sky was visible through shards of the roof. He calculated that the remains of the roof would not support rescue efforts from that direction, and hoped that someone could clear the exits inside, be it with manual labor or magic. The pain had begun to dissipate, the room was growing blurry, and Cain wanted nothing more than to rest. He allowed his eyes to close.

Glitch's voice wouldn't let him drift away. "But Cain ... how did this happen?"

Cain forced himself to think about the question. "I don't know," he admitted, forcing his eyes to open and focus on Glitch's worried face. "I didn't get to do as much of the hands-on security as I wanted. Queen's orders. But Kerrity was in charge of this section, and she's as good as they come."

Glitch's voice was suddenly sharp. "Kerrity? Camlyn Kerrity? Tall woman, about fifty?"

"Yes," said Cain, puzzled. "She's normally on the Queen's security detail, but she was lent to my section for this job."

"She was in prison when I was. Her cell was on the same hall as mine," Glitch said slowly. "Before ..." he pointed to the zipper. "The Sorceress let her out." He let the words fall with deliberate heaviness and did not elaborate.

"You think she was a collaborator?"

"There were very few ways out of those prison cells, Cain," said Glitch somberly.

"Why didn't this come out during her background check?" Cain hadn't done those checks; someone closer to the Queen had done them.

"Azkadellia's memories are unreliable, and I'm the only one from that block who survived," said Glitch. "Nobody asked me."

"They might have, eventually," said Cain. He gestured at the shattered ceiling. "This was a very conveniently timed disaster. Small enough to be blamed on stray renegades trying to disrupt the ball, but bad enough to get rid of the one person who was a danger to her."

"How would she know I was in here?" Glitch asked.

Cain started to laugh, but stopped as it made him dizzy. "All of my people knew exactly where everyone was, at every moment. And they knew you and I were meeting here at exactly 10:00. It's their job." He rubbed his eyes; the room seemed to be getting darker.

"How do you feel, Cain?" Glitch asked, bringing him back to the present.

Cain squeezed Glitch's hand. "I'm okay. Things don't hurt ... probably as much as they should. I'm starting to get cold."

"Shock," said Glitch, looking more worried than ever. He put Cain's hand down. "I'll be right back." He came back with one of the ornamental draperies and covered Cain up. "Better?"

"A little," Cain said.

Glitch thought for a moment, then climbed under the drapery himself and wriggled carefully closer, avoiding Cain's sore leg.

"Much better," Cain said, closing his eyes and relaxing into the warmth and the unspeakable pleasure of feeling Glitch's body pressed against his own. He felt the faintest sense of _deja vu_ , but his mind was working too sluggishly to place it. He could now make out an indistinct buzz of voices outside the blocked exit; some of the debris must have been moved away. He fought back the encroaching unconsciousness that threatened at the edges of his awareness, concerned for Glitch. "But I understand if you don't want them to find you like this."

"I'd be honored," Glitch said, and Cain felt a hand on his cheek, and warm lips against his own. He smiled, and kissed Glitch back. _It's all right now_ , he thought, and let the darkness finally take him.

**Epilogue**

Voices, again. Becoming more distinct. "Let me take a turn before you fall out of your chair from sheer exhaustion."

"Just a little longer, DG, please."

"Let's both stay, then. You can lie down on the cot and I'll wake you up as soon as he comes to."

"Promise?" Cain recognized Glitch's voice.

"Promise." That was DG.

"Glitch?" Cain asked. "DG?"

There was a swirl of motion and he saw both faces eagerly looking down at him. "How do you feel, Mr. Cain?" asked DG.

"Better," he said.

Glitch reached for Cain's hand and squeezed it. "You're going to be all right," he said.

"What about Kerrity?"

"She's awaiting trial," Glitch said quietly.

"Were there any other casualties?"

"Not unless you count the rest of us being sick with worry," said DG, smiling. She rose and added, "I'll let the doctor know you're awake. And the others. But we'll try not to bother you." She winked at Glitch and left.

Cain looked more closely at Glitch, who was still dressed in his formalwear from the ball, except for the jacket and coronet. He was paler than usual and there were dark circles under his eyes. "You look exhausted," Cain said.

"You tire me out," Glitch said, smiling.

Cain returned the smile. "Just you wait," he said.

Glitch leaned forward and kissed him again, tenderly. "I'll look forward to that, Tin Man," he said.

"So will I, sweetheart, so will I."


End file.
